Weekly Shots Better For Diabetics
Posted on: Monday, 8 September 2008, 17:05 CDT
Research from University of Toronto has found that a new formulation of the drug exenatide controlled blood sugar levels better than the current twice-daily regimen.
Although experts say further studies are needed to confirm the findings, the research could have a significant impact on the management of diabetes.
Exenatide increases the secretion of insulin, the hormone that breaks down sugar, after a meal. It also suppresses release of the hormone glucagon, which helps stop the liver from overproducing sugar when it is not required.
"Over two million Canadians have diabetes," said Dr. Daniel Drucker, clinician-scientist and Senior Investigator at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, in a statement.
"There is currently no available therapy for type-2 diabetes that patients can receive once a week."
The University of Toronto researchers worked with 259 patients over the course of 30 weeks. During that time, patients received either a once-a-week shot of a long-acting form of exenatide, or the conventional twice-a-day shots. The team evaluated the effectiveness of each treatment by measuring levels of a chemical called hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the patients' blood. Lower levels of this chemical indicate effective control of blood sugar levels.
The researchers found that patients receiving the once-weekly shot had a larger average reduction in HbA1c levels compared with those receiving the twice-daily jabs. Additionally, a greater proportion of them also met the target level for HbA1c during the study, and experienced fewer side effects.
"Exenatide once weekly resulted in significantly greater improvements in glycemic control than exenatide given twice a day, with no increased risk of hypoglycemia and similar reductions in bodyweight," wrote the researchers in a report about the study.
Hypoglycemia is a condition caused by blood sugar levels that are too low. It typically produces symptoms such as sweatiness, palpitations and shaking.
"There is not much detail provided in the report of this preliminary study but the results appear to be promising,” Dr Iain Frame, of the charity Diabetes UK, told BBC News.
More than 2.3m people Britons have type-2 diabetes, with many cases believed to be undiagnosed, according to Diabetes UK.
"The research will need to be extended and the results confirmed before we will see any change in current practice," Frame said.
The research was recently presented to a European Association for the Study of Diabetes conference in Rome, and was also published in The Lancet.
---
On the Net:
Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
Related Articles
- Lilly and Amylin Enter Into Supply Agreement for Exenatide Once Weekly
- After One Year, Type 2 Diabetes Patients Taking Exenatide Once Weekly Sustained Improvements in Glycemic Control and Weight; DURATION-1 Presented at ADA 2008
- Type 2 Diabetes Patients Taking Exenatide Once Weekly, a Phase 3 Investigational Diabetes Therapy, Showed Improvements in Glycemic Control, Weight
- Once-Weekly Exenatide Showed Statistical Superiority in Glucose Control Compared to BYETTA in Head-to-Head Study
- Roche Gains EU Approval for Once Weekly NeoRecormon
- BYETTA(R) (Exenatide) Approved for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes By European Commission
- Higher Persistency Rates Seen With FOSAMAX(R) Once Weekly Therapies Compared to Other Weekly and Monthly Oral Bisphosphonates, According to Two New Outcomes Studies
- Study Demonstrated Once-Weekly Exenatide LAR Improved Glucose Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
- Once-Weekly Exenatide LAR Clinical Study in Type 2 Diabetes Initiated
- Once Weekly Exenatide LAR Well Tolerated and Improved Glucose Control; Preliminary Results From Phase 2 Study Announced
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds